scholarly journals Structural Brain Alterations in Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052095962
Author(s):  
Julia C. Daugherty ◽  
Juan Verdejo-Román ◽  
Miguel Pérez-García ◽  
Natalia Hidalgo-Ruzzante
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Female Survivors ◽  
Causal Mechanisms ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Structural Brain ◽  
Structural Brain Alterations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been related to brain alterations in female survivors. Nonetheless, few studies have used an exploratory approach, focusing on brain regions that are traditionally studied in other populations with post-traumatic stress. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), strangulation, and childhood trauma are highly prevalent among this population, and have also been associated with brain alterations and functional deterioration. As such, it is difficult to determine how different brain regions are affected by the complex interplay of these factors in female survivors. The aim of this study is to assess (a) brain alterations in female survivors of IPV as compared to non-victim females and (b) the potential causal mechanisms associated with such alterations. We hypothesized that structural brain differences would be found between female survivors of IPV and non-victims, and that these differences would be related to IPV-related TBI, strangulation, IPV severity, depression, post-traumatic stress, generalized anxiety, and childhood adverse experiences. A total of 27 non-victims and 28 survivors completed structural magnetic resonance imaging and questionnaires to measure the potential causal mechanisms for brain alterations. Structural brain differences were found between groups, principally in volumetric analyses. The brain regions in which between-group differences were found were related to attempted strangulation, IPV-related TBI, severity of IPV, adverse childhood experiences, and post-traumatic stress. These results demonstrate that a wider range of brain regions may be impacted by IPV and that various factors are implicated in the structural brain alterations found in female survivors. This study demonstrates the importance of post-traumatic stress, childhood and adult trauma, and physical violence in assessing brain alterations in IPV survivors. Further, it serves as a critical first step in assessing an extensive list of potential causal mechanisms for structural brain alterations, using a more comprehensive a whole-brain structural analysis of IPV female victims, a largely understudied and vulnerable population.

Post-Traumatic Stress, Mother’s Emotion Regulation, and Parenting in Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 876-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyrill Gurtovenko ◽  
Lynn Fainsilber Katz
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Female Survivors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Post Traumatic

Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are high among female survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), and children of parents experiencing PTSS are at heightened risk for a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems. Parenting has significant influence on child adjustment, and although links have been found between parental psychopathology and maladaptive parenting, little is known about the factors that may explain this relation. The current study examines mother’s emotion regulation (ER) as a factor influencing the relation between mother PTSS and parenting around children’s emotions in a study sample of sixty-four female survivors of IPV and their 6- to 12-year-old children. Mothers reported on their own PTSS and their parenting. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was used as a psychophysiological index of mother’s ER. Experiential components of mother’s ER was also measured by observer coding of the Meta-Emotion Interview, a structured assessment that asks parents about their attitudes toward and experiences with emotions, including their regulation of emotions. Mother’s RSA reactivity moderated the relation between PTSS and negative parenting. There was also a significant indirect relation between mothers’ PTSS symptom severity and supportive parenting reactions through mothers’ self-report of ER. Results suggest that mother’s ER abilities represent factors that significantly affect associations between maternal PTSS and parent’s emotion socialization practices. Implications for assessment and intervention with families exposed to the stress of IPV are discussed.

scholarly journals Profiles of Emotion Regulation and Post-Traumatic Stress Severity among Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6865
Author(s):  
Marina Muñoz-Rivas ◽  
Ana Bellot ◽  
Ignacio Montorio ◽  
Rosa Ronzón-Tirado ◽  
Natalia Redondo
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Emotional Dysregulation ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Critical Pathway ◽  
Post Traumatic

Emotional dysregulation is a construct that has drawn substantial attention as a transdiagnostic contributing factor to the loss of health. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a term used to describe physical, psychological, or sexual assault of a spouse or sexual partner. The aim of the study was to determine the variability of emotional dysregulation among women with different types of IPV revictimization and post-traumatic stress. The cross-sectional survey included 120 women attended by the Integrated Monitoring System of Gender Violence of Madrid, Spain, due to a gender violence complaint. The presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (DSM 5 criteria), emotional dysregulation (Emotional Processing Scale (EPS)), childhood trauma, and type of revictimization were evaluated. Cluster analysis found three profiles of emotional regulation: Emotionally Regulated, Avoidance/Non-Impoverished, and Emotional Overwhelm. The results showed that the Emotional Overwhelm group was characterized by a general dysregulation of emotional experiences and a greater intensity of post-traumatic stress symptoms. In addition, women who have suffered several episodes of IPV by different partners showed a differential pattern of emotional regulation than the rest of the victims that entailed greater psychopathology. Findings confirm that emotional dysregulation is a critical pathway to the decrease of health among IPV victims.

scholarly journals Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in females exposed to intimate partner violence

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Youmna Sabri
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

Abstract Background United Nations considered intimate partner violence (IPV) as a serious problem affecting 35% of females all over the world requesting action to face this problem. There is strong evidence that the effect of violence against women has short-term and long-term negative outcomes on women physical health such as pain, wounds, fractures or even death in addition to serious psychiatric disorders for example anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study aims to evaluate the prevalence of different subtypes of (IPV) in a group sample of married females. Also, the current study will examine the relation of intimate partner violence with subsequent depression and post-traumatic stress disorder disorders among those females. Results This study highlights subtypes of intimate partner violence among the studied females according to the Composite Abuse Scale (CAS); the highest prevalence type of violence is harassment (72.2%) followed by physical violence (57.8%), severe combined violence (54.4%), emotional violence (53.3%), and finally the last one is sexual abuse (7.8%). Post-traumatic stress disorder distribution among studied females; the highest prevalence (n = 37, 41.1%) had mild PTSD, followed by 23 (25.6%) who were normal, and then n = 20 (22.2%) who had severe PTSD, while the least prevalence (n = 10, 11.1%) had moderate PTSD. In concern to depressive disorder distribution among studied females, the highest prevalence (n = 33, 36.7%) were normal, followed by 29 (32.2%) who had moderate depression, and then n = 12 (1.3%) who had severe depression, n = 9 (10.0%) who had mild depression, while the least prevalence (n = 7, 7.8%) had very severe depressive symptoms. Conclusions This study found that the prevalence of intimate partner violence among the studied females is high. In addition, the presence of a strong relationship between all subtypes of intimate partner violence and the diagnosis of PTSD and depressive disorder among studied females. Potential implications; these results can be applied clinically as females are exposed to the burden of IPV and should be helped empowered in various ways such as providing psychiatric counselling for those females.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document